African Union African Development Bank Economic Commission for Africa Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment © AUC-ECA-AfDB Consortium, 2012 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Email: [email protected] All rights reserved First printing September 2012 Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted. Acknowledgement is requested, together with a copy of the publication. Edited and designed by the ECA Publications and Conference Management Section (PCMS). Table of Contents Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................................v Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................................vii Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................1 1. Background and rationale .............................................................................................................3 1.1. Objectives of the study ........................................................................................................................4 2. Overview of Central Africa ...........................................................................................................7 3. Key Land Issues in Central Africa.................................................................................................11 3.1. Land, forest ecosystem management and indigenous peoples’ rights ...........................................11 3.2 Land markets and land production ....................................................................................................15 3.3 Gender and access to land property ...................................................................................................16 3.4 Transnational projects, extensive works and land issues .................................................................16 3.5 Land insecurity .............................................................................................................................................17 3.6 Population, land pressure and conflicts .............................................................................................17 3.7 The issue of land control and management in coastal areas ............................................................19 3.8 Urban land issues in Central Africa .....................................................................................................20 3.9 Climate change, migration and land issues .......................................................................................21 3.10 State monopoly over land ....................................................................................................................23 3.11 Mining and hydrocarbons .................................................................................................................24 4. Experiences of Land Policy Formulation .....................................................................................27 4.1. Definition ...............................................................................................................................................27 4.2 Objectives and complexity of land policies ........................................................................................28 4.3 Overview of the context of land policy formulation ........................................................................29 Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment iii 5. Implementation of Land Policies and Subsequent Reforms ........................................................33 5.1 Agencies in charge of implementation of land policies in Central Africa ......................................33 5.2 The gap between speech and reality .....................................................................................................37 5.3 Main instruments for implementing land policies ...........................................................................38 6. Progress Tracking of the Implementation of Land Policies in Central Africa ............................47 6.1 What does “progress tracking of land policies” mean? .....................................................................47 6.2 Operational framework .........................................................................................................................47 6.3 Framework for a systematic progress tracking of land policies ......................................................48 6.4 Assessment of land policies using social criteria ...............................................................................50 7. Key Land Policy Challenges in Central Africa .............................................................................53 7.1 Governance and peace ...........................................................................................................................53 7.2 Sustainable management of natural resources ...................................................................................53 7.3 The challenge of an inclusive urban co-production ..........................................................................53 7.4 Main challenges ahead ...........................................................................................................................54 8. Way Forward: Toward new land policies ......................................................................................57 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................61 Websites .............................................................................................................................................65 Appendix 1: Terms of reference ........................................................................................................67 Regional Assessments on Land Policy Formulation Implementation in Africa ..................................67 Terms of Reference .......................................................................................................................................67 iv Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment Acronyms and abbreviations AfDB African Development Bank AU African Union HG Housing Bank of Gabon CATZU Land Distribution Commission in Urban Areas CATU Urban Land Distribution Commission CDD Diocesan Development Committee CEA Economic Commission for Africa CEMAC Economic and Monetary Commission of Central Africa CFC Cameroon Land Bank CNTB National Commission for Land and Properties COMIFAC Central African Forests Commission COREP Permanent Representatives Committee of the Executive Council COTCO Cameroon Oil Transportation Company CREFOGA Gabon Land Bank CRH Compte de refinancement de l’Habitat du Gabon DAACO Directorate of Assistance for Self-Construction DEDTCF Directorate of Lands Registry, Stamp Duty and Land Conservation. DPGT Rural Development and Soil Management ECOFAC Central African Forest Ecosystems FNH Fonds National pour l’Habitat GCLME Regional Programme Major Maritime Ecosystems of the Guinea Current MAETUR Urban Lands Planning Mission MAGZI Industrial Areas Planning and Management Mission MATUH Ministry of Planning for Lands, Urbanization and Housing MINDAF Ministry of Lands and Real Estate Affairs MINEF Ministry of Environment and Forests NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development UNOID United Nations Industrial Development Organization Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment v PANLD National Action Plan for Fight Against Desertification PIP Provisional Priority Programme UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme RCA Central African Republic POS Soils Tenancy Plan RDC Democratic Republic of Congo SDAMVM Master plan for Planning and Valorization of Wetlands SDAU Master plan for Planning and Urbanization SNI Société Nationale Immobilière SODECOTON Cotton Development Society AU African Union UN-Habitat United Nations Programme for Human Settlement VRD Highways and other networks ZAI Industrial Planning Zone ZIC Hunting Ground ZICGC Community-managed Hunting Ground vi Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment Acknowledgements This regional assessment report on land policy in Central Africa has been prepared by a team of three con- sultants from Central Africa: Prof. Paul Tchawa (Cameroon), Prof. Lumpungu Kalambay (Democratic Re- public of Congo), and Dr. Domitien Ndihokubwayo (Burundi) under the guidance of a steering committee comprising the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), in close collaboration with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). This report constitutes part of the AUC- ECA- AfDB Consortium to prepare a framework and guidelines on land policy development, implementation, monitoring and evalu- ation in Africa. The consultants would like to express their gratitude to the AUC-ECA-AfDB consortium for entrusting the preparation of this report to them. The views expressed herein are, however, those of the authors. Land Policy in Africa: Central Africa Regional Assessment vii